White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer held his first formal press briefing Monday, and things became contentious when he fielded a question about always telling the truth from the podium, based on criticism he received from his weekend press briefing.

ABC News chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl asked Spicer:

"Is it your intention to always tell the truth from that podium and will you pledge never to knowingly say something that is not factual?"

"I believe we have to be honest with the American people," Spicer said. "I think sometimes we can disagree with the facts. There are certain things we may not fully understanding when we come out, but our intention is never to lie to you Jonathan.

"You're in the same boat. There are times when you guys tweet something out or write a story and you publish a correction. That doesn't mean you were intentionally trying to deceive readers and the American people, does it? I think we should be afforded the same opportunity.

"I'm going to come out here and tell you the facts as I know them, and if we make a mistake, I'll do my best to correct it."

Spicer said there is a constant theme among media members to rush to judgment against President Donald Trump in an attempt to undermine his credibility.

However, he said he is committed to maintaining a "healthy relationship" with the press.

"We want to have a healthy and open dialogue with the press corps and the American people about what he's doing to help this country and to unite it."

Watch the back-and-forth clip above, and share your thoughts with us in the comments section.